Nightmare (Series)/Seize the Day
Seize the Day ---- Seize the day, or die regretting the time you lost It's empty and cold without you here Too many people to ache over I was supposed to be cynical. I was supposed to be moody, depressed, and defiant. Rarely I felt like this. I was actually excited. The unfamiliar feeling washed over me, and made my pelt tingle, my tail curve upward. I was at the front of a Clan meeting, standing next to Pebblekit, Daisykit, and Mistkit. Frostkit should be here, I thought. He was still recovering from the wounds he received from the pieces of foxdung standing next to me. Slowly, my tail began to droop. My mood was plummeting. But it was finally my apprenticeship ceremony; I would make the most of this. I would be happy. I see my vision burn, I feel my memories fade with time But I'm too young to worry These streets we travel on will undergo our same lost past "Pebblekit, step forward," Pinestar commanded. Smugly, he trotted forward, and lifted his head to face Pinestar. "Pebblekit, from this moment on you will be known as Pebblepaw. May StarClan light your path. Your mentor will be Lilypetal." Without even dipping his head, he turned away, tail held up high. Ever since that night, Daisykit and I were not talking. We didn't talk that much in the first place, but we no longer exchanged common pleasantries such as "Pass that fresh-kill, please?" or "Hi, how was your day?". I shouldn't care about that, but for some reason, I did. A strange part of me wanted to be with Daisykit, and talk to Daisykit, share a nest with Daisykit... Pinestar's words jerked me out of my rather embarrassing reverie. "Cinderkit, step forward." I gulped. This was it. I was actually becoming a real Clan member. Maybe all of the horrible memories of my kithood would fade away with my new apprenticeship, and I could lead a normal life. "Cinderkit, from this moment on you will be known as Cinderpaw. May StarClan light your path. Your mentor will be Snowblossom." Shakily, I dipped my head to him and stepped back into the crowd. Snowblossom came to stand by my side. I didn't know much about her, other than everyone else hated her for whatever reason. Well, at least I would know what to expect, even if she turned out to be a foxheart. Quickly, Pinestar named Mistkit "Mistpaw" and Daisykit "Daisypaw". Frostkit should've been the fifth to get a new name, I thought bitterly to myself. Mistpaw's mentor happened to be Flamestrike, a scarred and striped orange tom with a quiet demeanor. And Daisypaw got Specklefoot, a gray and black-spotted large tom. I didn't know anything about him. I found you here, now please just stay for a while I can move on with you around It was time for the Clan to cheer our names. I noticed that the Clan cheered for Pebblepaw and me a little bit quieter. Momentary satisfaction washed over me, knowing that Pebblepaw was just as disliked as me. But no matter. I could finally go out of camp without sneaking. "Unfortunately, I have some sad news as well." Everyone in the clearing perked up their ears. "Birchheart is retiring as deputy, and as a Clan member." Surprised mutters broke out. They were curious, as to why their dependable deputy was all of a sudden being cast out. And I was one of the only ones that knew. Birchheart walked out from underneath the Highboulder, his tail held high, and defiance and pride in his gaze. He puffed out his chest, even as he walked to the thorny camp exit. "Why are you leaving?" a quiet voice rang out. I turned to see that it was Gingerear, a shy tom recently made a warrior. His gaze was shadowed with doubt, yet he held he curled his tail and held it high as a symbol of curiosity. Birchheart momentarily dropped his challenging poise, and lowered his gaze to the small, cowering warrior. Everyone in the clearing waited, expecting a good explanation for the sudden change. I held my breath, wondering what he was going to say. I didn't know much about my father, all I knew was that he was not a liar, and he was not faint at heart, despite his constant ignorance of me. "My blood is mixed. My father was a rogue cat." So a rogue. Not a MapleClan cat. I suppose that was just as bad. Surprisingly, his words were met with silence. No muttering, no gossip, just taciturnity and regret. My father dipped his head one last time. In spite of myself, I dipped my head back. His wide golden eyes locked with mine for a second, before he turned and bounded away. Maybe my father wasn't so bad after all. I hand you my mortal life, but will it be forever? I'd do anything for a smile, holding you 'til our time is done We both know the day will come, but I don't want to leave you The awkward moment was interrupted by Pinestar clearing his throat. "Now I will announce the new deputy." I sucked in my breath. This was it. "Hollyfoot shall be honored to take Birchheart's place." Dissatisfied muttering broke out. Hollyfoot had some nasty rumors surrounding him- even worse than the whole half-rogue debacle of Birchheart. Pinestar cleared his throat again. "If there is any complaints about my choice, you may voice them to me at dusk. However, just know that it is my decisions that has kept PineClan running, and dominant over MapleClan." Ha. Foxdung. MapleClan couldn't prevail a mouse; not like we needed Pinestar's help. I was ambivalent on whether or not things would get better or worse. On one paw, I got to be an apprentice now, and I could hang out with Daisypaw maybe. Maybe Goldenleaf would leave me alone now. But on the other paw, there was Hollyfoot. Distrust caused the fur on my back to bristle. But really, it didn't matter, did it? I could just go on being an apprentice. I wouldn't have to worry about it. It wasn't my problem. The cats in the clearing began to gossip some more. I was going to listen in, but Lilypetal distracted me from it. "I'm sorry, Cinderpaw," she mewed, "I understand that your father's exile is hard for you, but we have to go on like usual. You seem like a strong young tom to me." I bit back a feisty retort. At least Lilypetal was attempting kindness. She gave me a smile, and gently patted my shoulder with her long, fuzzy tail. Pebblepaw snickered, In a moment, Snowblossom interjected herself between us. "Lilypetal," she said sweetly, "I think it is so very polite of you to try and take over my apprentice?" Intimidated by Snowblossom's passive agressive nature, Lilypetal took a step back. "Sorry sis." Snowblossom turned her head, her piercing blue eyes focused on me. "We're going to explore the territory along with Pebblepaw, Daisypaw, and Mistpaw. Got it?" I see my vision burn, I feel my memories fade with time But I'm too young to worry (a melody, a memory, or just one picture) I wrinkled my nose. "Can't I just go by myself?" "No," Snowblossom said firmly. "You just became an apprentice, and you don't know the territory yet." "I've snuck out of camp many times!" I blurted. She narrowed her eyes. "I see. In that case, you have to be a tail-length away from me at all times." "What! That's not fair!" I hissed. Pebblepaw and Mistpaw snickered. I saw Mistpaw whisper something into my brother's ear, and laugh. In that moment words could not describe how much I wanted to wring their little necks until blood dripped from their mouths. Snowblossom and the other mentors pretended not to see. "Come on. The others are leaving." I saw Daisypaw flash a sympathetic look towards me. I smiled in gratitude, then quickly stopped myself. I don't smile. Ever. Seize the day or die regretting the time you lost It's empty and cold without you here Too many people to ache over As we were slipping out of camp, my flank grudgingly pressed against Snowblossom's, I heard a whisper in my ear. It was Daisypaw. "Ugh, I feel bad for you. Snowblossom is such a jerk." I nodded in agreement. "I've known her for two minutes and she's already humiliating me." "Ssh!" Snowblossom snapped. "Look," Daisypaw said, speaking in a lower voice. "As soon as they get to the first landmark, they'll get distracted, and we can sneak off and have fun, okay?" Excitement rushed through my veins. "Yeah. Okay," I whispered back. Newborn life replacing all of us, changing this fable we live in No longer needed here so where do we go? Our entire group consisted of me, Daisypaw, Pebblepaw, Mistpaw, Lilypetal, Snowblossom, Flamestrike, and Specklefoot. Too many cats for my liking. I told myself to suck it up and be glad. The group finally stopped at a stream. I have been to that stream many times, although I didn't know the name. "This is Stone Creek. It looks small, but it's surprisingly deep, so be careful." I had learned that the hard way. Daisypaw nudged me. "C'mon!" she whispered. Snowblossom's attention was faltering. She was about to start talking about the stupid creek. As she turned her head to look at the creek, Daisypaw and I took our chance. Silently, we slipped into the bushes, and ran as fast as we could. For a moment I thought that Flamestrike had seen us, but it must've been my imagination because nobody said anything and nobody came after us. Will you take a journey tonight, follow me past the walls of death? But girl, what if there is no eternal life? We stopped, panting. "That was fun," I said awkwardly. She laughed. It was a delicate, beautiful sound. Never have I heard anything so pleasant. "The fun has just began. Come on!" She bounded away through the trees. "Are you heading towards the honeysuckle?" I asked. She gave me a questioning look. "The honeysuckle?" "Oh. I thought for a moment that you had gone out of camp before," I said sheepishly. Daisypaw sighed. "I wish. But the honeysuckle sounds fun, will you lead me to it?" "Sure," I mewed, and began padding in the same direction. I see my vision burn, I feel my memories fade with time But I'm too young to worry (a melody, a memory, or just one picture) This was nice. I was free. I was finally free. I realized that I was always carrying this weight on my shoulders, and it was nice to finally feel like it was released. I spotted the honeysuckle a few fox-lengths away. "Here it is," I mewed to Daisypaw. With a smile on her face, and gleaming eyes, she pranced around the many honeysuckle plants, and inhaled the sweet smell. "Mmm. It's nice," she said lazily, flopping down on the warm earth. She began to knead the dirt, ripping out little green weeds with her glaws. I blushed. "Yeah." She glanced at me playfully. "I bet you're terrible at cuddling." What was that supposed to mean? We were getting along great... and she just insults me? Or was it... that she was hinting that she wanted me to curl up with her. I gulped, heart pounding. "I'll prove you wrong." Seize the day or die regretting the time you lost It's empty and cold without you here, too many people to ache over I settled down next to her. This was completely ridiculous. I was exposing myself for Daisypaw to see, and I was likely to be stomped on and made fun of as soon as Pebblepaw came around. My feelings of hate for my jerk of a brother increased when I thought of him taking my place with Daisypaw. "I think you're a nice cat," she purred to me. My heart thumped loudly. I hoped that she didn't hear it. "Then why do you hang out with Pebblepaw all the time?" I blurted out. Stupid. Yeah, the best way to flirt was to start conflict, good job me. She sighed. "I don't know. It's just... I don't want to be hated, you know?" I stopped myself before I would say anything offensive to her about being a conformist, and instead just cuddled up to her. "It's okay. I understand how you feel." Trials in life, questions of us existing here Don't wanna die alone without you here Please tell me what we have is real "But you're much better than Pebblepaw," she continued, "He's kind of stupid. I feel bad for saying that, but it's true. And plus, you're cuter too." I blushed. "I-I think you're cute too," I stammered. "What, me?" she said quizzically, "With my boring cream pelt? And I'm kind of fat. Mistpaw was making fun of me the other day for it." "Your looks aren't boring," I reassured her, "I-I think you are actually quite beautiful. Those she-cats with too much going on in their pelts... aren't as elegant." She licked me gently on the ear. "Thanks," she purred. My heart began beating powerfully again. I didn't know how to continue. My nerves were starting to get the better of me. I didn't think that I could sit there anymore. There was only a certain number of compliments I could give her, before things started getting awkward. "Hey," I said, "Do you wanna explore some more? I can show you a really cool place." I finished with a smile. Rarely did I act like this. Daisypaw made me feel... special. I've never felt special. All my life I was kicked and spit on, and this one time... she just made me feel something that I had never felt before. So what if I never hold you, yeah, or kiss your lips again? Woah, so I never want to leave you and the memories of us to see I beg don't leave me I wanted to tell her all of this, but I didn't know the words. So instead, while we were walking through the shrubbery, I just said, "Please don't leave me. You... you're the only cat who's ever treated me normal." In return, she licked my ear. I felt shivers down my spine. We arrived at our destination. A beautiful tree, with vibrant green leaves and striking red flowers towered into the sky. The sunlight cast its shadow over the green grass. "Wow," Daisypaw breathed, "It's beautiful." "I know." She purred excitedly. "Let's climb it!" I was soon chasing after her, fur blowing in the breeze. Seize the day or die regretting the time you lost It's empty and cold without you here, too many people to ache over With astounding agility, she darted up the trunk and began to jump from branch to branch. As for me, I was a little bit slower. It took some effort to haul myself up the trunk. Now I just looked ridiculous, being outdone by a she-cat. "Keep going, Cinderpaw! Don't give up!" Warmth rushed through me. With that, I increased my speed, until I was leaping right next to Daisypaw. We finally picked our way up to the highest branches. Euphoria raced through me. "Daisypaw," I began, "I think... I think can we be more than friends? I mean, it's all right if you don't want to, I respect that totally, b-but I just think-" She silenced me with her white-tipped tail. "Yes, Cinderpaw. I like you too." Trials in life, questions of us existing here '' ''Don't wanna die alone without you here Please tell me what we have is real "But-but will you promise me something?" I stuttered. She leaned in. I could feel the warmth of her breath on my fur. "Yes, Cinderpaw?" "Please don't end up hurting me." "Of course I won't hurt you," she assured me. "But in the future too?" She laughed a dainty laugh. "Yes, Cinderpaw. But remember- seize the day. Stop worrying about tomorrow and the future. What happens will happen." That didn't sound like a familiar philosophy to me. But I decided that it was all right. No, more than all right. I really should stop fretting over anything and everything. We began to lean in, our noses and muzzles to touch. I gripped the bark of the tree with my claws, shivering with anticipation. She gave a cute little purr, and just when I thought I was going to melt with excitement and bliss, a distressed shriek rang out. Into the clearing, adorned with fallen red petals, burst Lilypetal. She was panting, with a crazed look in her eyes that I had never seen. Her expressions were always so sweet. But as Daisypaw went into shock and surprise, her claws began to skitter on the branch. She desperately tried to hook her claws in, but instead she just tore a claw off, causing a stream of blood to drip down. Coming out of my confusion, I attempted to grab her by the muzzle, and then the flank, but it was too late. She went plummeting to the ground, and landed with a sickening thud. Silence you lost me, no chance for one more day I stand here alone Falling away from you, no chance to get back home I stand here alone Falling away from you, no chance to get back home Horror began welling up in me as blood began to seep out from underneath her body. I liked blood, but not like this, never like this... "Great StarClan," Lilypetal cursed, and rushed to Daisypaw's side. "Is she dead?" I clumsily scrambled down the tree and joined Lilypetal by Daisypaw's side. She twitched slightly, indicating that she still had some life in her. "Quick, we need to get help!" I snapped at Lilypetal. She shook her head. "There's no time for that now. We will come back for her later." "Are you out of your mind?" I hissed, "She needs medical attention, you idiot." "No, we need to get back to camp," she said urgently, "MapleClan is attacking."